Lowered bikes

[Gippo]

Thanks everyone. Asked these questions because I was going to buy an already lowered bike.

Obviously this thread changed my mind.

Thank you PSB crew. (Never said that before)

[sporti]

At 5'4" she should be able to ride an un-lowered bike when she gets more confident. My ex is 5'2" and rode an fairly stock R6 (think it had the seat slightly scooped) and my unmodified 600RR.

You're right, this is one of the reasons why I opted for the adjustable rear link, as she gets used to the bike, I'll slowly start lifting it up to stock height again

[thro]

My fiancee's bike (Gladius) has been lowered prior to delivery (she's 5'4). The stand had to be heated & moved out, the lowering links are adjustable, but the cat is a PITA due to minimal ground clearance, two up is doable, but even taking roundabouts is a slow exercise. Big dips in the road cause it to bottom out.

I weight in around the 80kg mark & riding by myself there's no clearance issues, having said that, I still want to pull the cat out for the extra distance to the ground ( oh no, not the kittens)

Clearly the bike doesn't handle quite as good as it was designed to, though hasn't been impaired enough to slow it down any. It was lowered 1.5" at the rear & 1" at the front. The other downside is the headlight aims slightly higher than it shoud.

At 5'4" she should be able to ride an un-lowered bike when she gets more confident. My ex is 5'2" and rode an fairly stock R6 (think it had the seat slightly scooped) and my unmodified 600RR.

[CharlieBrown]

You'll have the silver kickstand of shame!
At least you know you can do it without the handling being all out of whack, and I am serious about respringing it, the front will be apart anyway so do it if you can afford it.

Yes, the front diving is irritating - def needs to be sorted. And braided hoses too. And the tyres are very slidy off road.

Haha -I dont think there's any more shame than having to have a strapping tradie pull the bike off me on a main street in Perth at rush hour. spray paint can hide the sidestand, but the mark of the falling over has scratched my ego forever.

[AliastheJester]

yeah, I know it can be done. I just don't want to admit I have to do it!

am on advriders right now looking at lowering advice, but shhh, don't tell anyone, I'm tall enough, ok.

You'll have the silver kickstand of shame!
At least you know you can do it without the handling being all out of whack, and I am serious about respringing it, the front will be apart anyway so do it if you can afford it.

[CharlieBrown]

The DR650 is designed to be lowered. the links on the suspension knuckle at the back can be bolted into the other hole and there is a spacer inside the front suspension that can be turned around, then you need to get the OEM short kickstand. I think that lowers it 40mm, .

yeah, I know it can be done. I just don't want to admit I have to do it!
for me, its not the width of the seat, its purely the length of my legs!

am on advriders right now looking at lowering advice, but shhh, don't tell anyone, I'm tall enough, ok.

[AliastheJester]

I'm thinking exactly on those lines. Who knew that supermoto lean-angle-gods and noobs who like their bikes to have a little lay down every now and again had some much in common! Of course on my first proper off road venture, one of those sliders is going to catch on something

The DR650 is designed to be lowered. the links on the suspension knuckle at the back can be bolted into the other hole and there is a spacer inside the front suspension that can be turned around, then you need to get the OEM short kickstand. I think that lowers it 40mm, you can then go for a lower seat and if you really want to lower it get a set of supermoto wheels (it's totally not because it is fun).
Since you are there anyway, when the suspension is being taken apart is a good time to respring it and put in a set of emulators.
I think with the DR it is actually the width at the seat that makes it hard to get your feet down. to me it feels taller than the DRZ400 even though it is a lot lower. I'm tall enough to easily flat foot it both sides, but I can see why most people would have trouble.

[BrotherPaul]

I'm learning the hard way - being a short arse (5'7"), my DR is right at the limit of what I'm comfortable with. Or so I thought. Many thanks to the tradie who immediately jumped out of his ute on Elder St to help me pick it up after dropping it yet again. Apparently, I like to stall this bike on right hand slopes where I cant reach the ground in time to stop it falling - in this case trying to get into Elder St carpark via Murray St using that slopey back alley bit. I really don't want to lower it though, as I'm no Boeman lightweight due to my beard :-p. plus I like sitting up high - last time I was this high was on a ladder or sitting on my dad's shoulders as a child

In other news, anyone know if you can get oggy knob crash protector type things for a DR650? Or failing that, training wheels or a full external roll cage. Maybe I'll zip tie pillows to the right side..

I had the same problem with my DL650. Dropped a few times when stationery on slopes etc. After replacing indicators a few times at $80 each, scratching paint decided to do something about it.u In the end I used lowering links and dropped the front by about 25 mm. Can now flat foot on both sides. Does not bottom out and no adverse handling as far as I can tell, apart from turning in much easier. Have not had a dropsy since. I have some oggy knobs for this that I can't use because of other mods, so happy to pass on for a six pack or two, if they will fit the DR.

[ripper1199]

Speaking of Supermotards. General consensus is lowering a perfectly fine enduro/mx bike by 2 inches in the front and usually 1 inch in the back by changing rims, thereby setting up the whole finely adjusted geometry and weight bias is awesome. I would totally agree although mine started swinging violently when hitting over 120ks for overtaking and then trying to get back on my side of the road. And she sure was not meant for small people. At over 6 ft I could only put one foot down.

[CharlieBrown]

You can do what the supermoto guys do and chuck on a pair of axle sliders and peg sliders, that should be enough to protect the swingarm/fork/foot controls. The barkbusters will protect your levers and bar ends.

I'm thinking exactly on those lines. Who knew that supermoto lean-angle-gods and noobs who like their bikes to have a little lay down every now and again had some much in common! Of course on my first proper off road venture, one of those sliders is going to catch on something

[Commander Keen]

You can do what the supermoto guys do and chuck on a pair of axle sliders and peg sliders, that should be enough to protect the swingarm/fork/foot controls. The barkbusters will protect your levers and bar ends.

[crowtribe]

Is there something for tall people? [MENTION=30883]frenchie[/MENTION] and I have a mate who's 6'4"-6'5" and 100 odd kilos and looks like he's riding a peewee on his ZZR250.

[CharlieBrown]

Barkbusters should be all you need, the chassis is so slim it will rarely touch anything other than bars/pegs/tail unless you wrap it around a pole.

Yeah, bark busters are on the agenda for Saturday morning.

apparently the swing arm somehow touches down too. *sigh* but mostly its:
side plastic (dont care, that's what stickers are for)
bar end (dont care)
brake lever (now with redesigned profile - care a bit)
very bottom of the fork (don't really care)
and the brake pedal, which got jammed underneath the engine case and had to be levered out with a spanner in the car park when noone was looking (care a lot - need crank case protector)

I figure its better to get all this shit over and done with before it's first service, right?

[whowalks]

I'm learning the hard way - being a short arse (5'7"), my DR is right at the limit of what I'm comfortable with. Or so I thought. Many thanks to the tradie who immediately jumped out of his ute on Elder St to help me pick it up after dropping it yet again. Apparently, I like to stall this bike on right hand slopes where I cant reach the ground in time to stop it falling - in this case trying to get into Elder St carpark via Murray St using that slopey back alley bit. I really don't want to lower it though, as I'm no Boeman lightweight due to my beard :-p. plus I like sitting up high - last time I was this high was on a ladder or sitting on my dad's shoulders as a child

In other news, anyone know if you can get oggy knob crash protector type things for a DR650? Or failing that, training wheels or a full external roll cage. Maybe I'll zip tie pillows to the right side..

5'9" and just off my heals on the 848 EVO which is OK exept if I'm backing it up a hill

[Commander Keen]

Barkbusters should be all you need, the chassis is so slim it will rarely touch anything other than bars/pegs/tail unless you wrap it around a pole.